Off the coast of Newfoundland, a crab fisherman finds a 50 tonne humpback whale entangled in some of his crab pots. The whale is tightly wrapped in the rope, which will cut deep into his muscle. The fisherman has lost his catch and may lose his gear.

In Cape Breton, NS, 18 pilot whales, each weighing more than a tonne, have stranded on a rural beach. Some of the whales have already died. The tide has receded and the heat of the day is starting. Without help, the rest of the whales will not survive.

On the outer coast of Vancouver Island, among a colony of sea lions, a large male has a packing strap caught so tightly around its neck that it has cut into his body. Unless it is removed, it will eventually kill him.

On the St. Lawrence River, a young beluga whale has died and washed ashore. This is the third death this season and their cause of death has not been determined.

Canada has a wealth of marine wildlife in its oceans and they are an important part of our national heritage.

Some marine wildlife, however, get in situations that threaten their safety or the safety of people. Every year more than 1,000 marine animal incidents are reported in Canada involving dozens of different species such as whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, sea lions, sea turtles and sharks. Many of these large marine animals are also species at risk of extinction.

Fortunately, networks of highly trained, specialized individuals and organizations exist that are dedicated to responding to marine animal emergencies across Canada. These networks have created the Canadian Marine Animal Response Alliance (CMARA).

CMARA aims to improve marine animal rescue, research and outreach on behalf of the Canadian public for the conservation of our marine wildlife heritage.

Recent News

CWF encouraged but cautious about new measures to conserve right whales

The federal government’s new measures to conserve right whales are well founded and we are hopeful they will prevent another mortality crisis; however, the Canadian Wildlife Federation is urging the development of a ‘Plan B’.